This Illness of My Heart
by the vortex of meow
Summary: For now - Rachel was fine with this illness of her heart - she wasn't freezing anymore with his hand holding hers. /written for shipping week at caesar's palace -/ Rachel/Nico


**I apologize to all my readers for the utter horrifying stories I've been posting lately. I've using a different method to write and it's done nothing but _hidden_ my many grammar errors from my sight and not helped my rusty writing. This is better, I promise.**

 **First PJO fic! Whoo! Review? :3  
**

 **Written for shipping week at Caesar's Palace. Prompt: Illness**

 **Rachel/Nico**

* * *

Her hand floated over her heart. Her fingertips were _freezing._

Rachel Dare breathed in the cold winter air and huffed. From her fluffed snow boots to her red curls being covered by a puffed hoodie, she was a typical New Yorker waiting in the freezing weather for her friends to arrive. Her very _late_ friends, but what did she expect with asking Percy to arrange the meet-up between friends? She should've just asked Annabeth. No daughter of Athena would be late for a meet- Rachel made a face. Unless it involved driving past great works of art, then maybe they would be delayed a few minutes and Percy would be too busy indulging his girlfriend to notice the time.

She bounced on her toes. Matters of human emotions were not something that an Oracle could predict.

"Hey, Rachel."

She twirled around and her mood brightened, "Nico!" She latched onto his arm - a bad habit from hanging out with her friends too much, but she was cold so who cared, honestly - Nico frowned down at her. "Clingy much?" He asked.

She whined, "Everyone is _late_ and I'm _freezing._ _"_

"That's what you get for telling everyone to meet several blocks _away_ from the restaurant." Nico smiled dryly, "Your mistake, you deal with it, Future Girl."

With a careful twist of her heel, she stepped on his foot and watched him yelp with satisfaction. Guys were supposed to cover her up with their jacket and comfort her, not tell her to _deal with it._

"Fine, fine..." Nico twisted his arm out her grasp. "Want my jacket?"

 _Did he read her mind?_

Rachel thought about it and replied primly, "Nope. I don't want _your_ jacket. I want some nice guy's jacket." She sighed. "Percy's will do."

Nico sputtered, "A jacket is a _jacket._ A piece of clothing that will keep you warm. Who cares about it being mine or Percy's?!"

"I'll be fine." She grasped his hand this time and entertwined their fingers. "I'm not that cold anymore."

"You just _said_ \- "

Rachel wasn't listening anymore because her throat had closed up and her heart was going _nuts_ in her chest - in fact, it had been for the past few minutes - and she was feeling uncomfortably warm. It was almost like she was catching something.

An Oracle couldn't predict about the matters of the human heart. Oh, that came from experience, but even Rachel knew that she was falling down with something.

She leaned her head against Nico's shoulders and mumbled, "I think m'sick..."

 _"What?"_

His other hand flitted up to her forehead and he said, doubtfully, "You don't have a fever..." His dark eyes looked over her, "But your face is a little red... that should be normal in this weather..."

Rachel grinned and leaned against Nico, "I'll be okay in a few minutes."

She would be. This _illness_ was simple to cure. If she ever would have the guts to do it. She shivered in delight at the thought - which was probably the wrong move with Nico being right next to her - he responded crisply and firmly under the pretense of her falling ill.

"Honestly, we can walk to the restaurant from here. Percy has Annabeth. Even if the idiot thinks we tricked them, Annabeth will figure it out. Come on." His tone held no room for debate and he started walking, tugging her forward.

 _What an idiot..._ She thought fondly to herself, Rachel wasn't cold anymore, Nico's hand clasped in her own made sure of that. Just being closer to him was all she needed to stay warm and nerve-wracked. Her hand floated over her heart again to calm it. Really, this happened every time with him and even the Oracle couldn't predict its affects.

 _This illness..._

She smiled. His head was tilted down and was frowning - as usual - and his dark hair fell into his eyes and he would push it back - and, of course, Rachel couldn't stop staring with a view like that.

One day, she would have the guts to fix, cleanse, and wipe away this sickness.

For now, she was perfectly happy to live with this - this...

 _...illness of my heart._


End file.
